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Plants of the genus Wikstroemia are traditionally used in China to treat various inflammatory diseases. The purpose of this study was to isolate the components of Wikstroemia ganpi (Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim., to evaluate their anti-atopic activities and to identify candidates with anti-atopic therapeutics. A total of 24 compounds were isolated by bioassay-guided separation, including one novel compound, which was tilianin 5-methyl ether. The anti-atopic activities of the isolated compounds were determined using TNF-α-treated RBL-2H3 cells and HaCaT cells. The mRNA expressions of IL-4, IL-6, GM-CSF, G-CSF and TRPV1 were reduced by luteolin 7-methyl ether. The study shows that the luteolin 7-methyl ether isolated from W. ganpi is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.

Combination of sulfuric acid modified bagasse activated carbon-bone biochar beads and Acinetobacter indicus screened from petroleum contaminated soil was the best condition for gaseous methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) removal. It was found that H 2 SO 4 modified bagasse AC in powder form had higher adsorption capacity (989.33 mg g -1 ) than that in bead form (1.94 mg g -1 ). In addition, bone biochar in powder form (3.51 mg g -1 ) also had higher adsorption capacity than that in bead form (1.63 mg g -1 ). This was the fact that material beads contained high moisture content that inhibited the penetration of gaseous MTBE into the material. And a mixed material of H 2 SO 4 modified bagasse AC-bone biochar beads had the highest adsorption capacity (2.22 mg g -1 ) compared to individual H 2 SO 4 modified bagasse AC beads (1.94 mg g -1 ) and bone biochar beads (1.63 mg g -1 ) due to a mixed material had more rough surface and high surface area on its material. So, gaseous MTBE can penetrate through this material more easily. Although the maximum adsorption capacity of H 2 SO 4 modified bagasse AC in powder form was the highest but microorganism cannot sustain and survive in this form for a long time. Therefore, the material beads were more suitable for microorganism to grow and degrade gaseous MTBE. Microorganism can degrade MTBE and caused no secondary wastes. Moreover, A. indicus was a novel strain for MTBE removal that has not been previously reported. Therefore, a combination of A. indicus-mixed material beads was a good choice for MTBE removal in a biofilter system., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Medicinal plant-associated endophytic fungi are important sources of precious bioactive compounds, contributing more than 80% of the natural drugs for various ailments. The present study was aimed at evaluating the anticancer activity of the crystallized compound alternariol methyl ether (AME) against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) both in vitro and in vivo from an endophytic fungus residing in the medicinal plant Vitex negundo., Methods and Results: The secondary metabolites from the endophytic fungus Alternaria alternata MGTMMP031 were isolated. Purification and characterization of the compound was performed and the potential compound was identified as AME. The crystal structure of AME was unambiguously confirmed by X-ray analysis. AME has been checked for its antibacterial and anticancer properties which showed its effectiveness against various bacteria and demonstrated marked anti-proliferative activity against the human HCC cells (HUH-7) both in vitro and in vivo. Mode of actions included cell cycle arrest, reducing the level of markers enzymes of liver cancer and preventing tumour growth., Conclusions: Alternariol methyl ether acts as a potential therapeutic target against HCC. The compound was isolated and the crystal structure was obtained for the first time from the endophytic fungus A. alternata MGTMMP031. In the present study, the crystallized structure of AME was obtained by slow evaporation technique. It can be concluded that AME acts as a potential therapeutic target against HCC., Significance and Impact of the Study: Endophytic fungi residing in the medicinal plants have strong biological significance and bioactive compounds from these fungi provide better therapeutic targets against diseases., (© 2019 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

ZSM-5, as a hydrophobic zeolite, has a good adsorption capacity for methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in batch adsorption studies. This study explores the applicability of ZSM-5 as a reactive material in permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) to decontaminate the MTBE-containing groundwater. A series of laboratory scale fixed-bed column tests were carried out to determine the breakthrough curves and evaluate the adsorption performance of ZSM-5 towards MTBE under different operational conditions, including bed length, flow rate, initial MTBE concentration and ZSM-5 dosage, and regeneration tests were carried out at 80, 150 and 300 °C for 24 h. Dose-Response model was found to best describe the breakthrough curves. MTBE was effectively removed by the fixed-bed column packed with a ZSM-5/sand mixture with an adsorption capacity of 31.85 mg g -1 at 6 cm bed length, 1 mL min -1 flow rate, 300 mg L -1 initial MTBE concentration and 5% ZSM-5 dosage. The maximum adsorption capacity increased with the increase of bed length and the decrease of flow rate and MTBE concentration. The estimated kinetic parameters can be used to predict the dynamic behaviour of column systems. In addition, regeneration study shows that the adsorption capacity of ZSM-5 remains satisfactory (>85%) after up to four regeneration cycles., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The investigation of the constituents that were isolated from Turnera diffusa (damiana) for their inhibitory activities against recombinant human monoamine oxidases (MAO-A and MAO-B) in vitro identified acacetin 7-methyl ether as a potent selective inhibitor of MAO-B (IC 50 = 198 nM). Acacetin 7-methyl ether (also known as 5-hydroxy-4', 7-dimethoxyflavone) is a naturally occurring flavone that is present in many plants and vegetables. Acacetin 7-methyl ether was four-fold less potent as an inhibitor of MAO-B when compared to acacetin (IC 50 = 50 nM). However, acacetin 7-methyl ether was >500-fold selective against MAO-B over MAO-A as compared to only two-fold selectivity shown by acacetin. Even though the IC 50 for inhibition of MAO-B by acacetin 7-methyl ether was ~four-fold higher than that of the standard drug deprenyl (i.e., Selegiline TM or Zelapar TM , a selective MAO-B inhibitor), acacetin 7-methyl ether's selectivity for MAO-B over MAO-A inhibition was greater than that of deprenyl (>500- vs. 450-fold). The binding of acacetin 7-methyl ether to MAO-B was reversible and time-independent, as revealed by enzyme-inhibitor complex equilibrium dialysis assays. The investigation on the enzyme inhibition-kinetics analysis with varying concentrations of acacetin 7-methyl ether and the substrate (kynuramine) suggested a competitive mechanism of inhibition of MAO-B by acacetin 7-methyl ether with Ki value of 45 nM. The docking scores and binding-free energies of acacetin 7-methyl ether to the X-ray crystal structures of MAO-A and MAO-B confirmed the selectivity of binding of this molecule to MAO-B over MAO-A. In addition, molecular dynamics results also revealed that acacetin 7-methyl ether formed a stable and strong complex with MAO-B. The selective inhibition of MAO-B suggests further investigations on acacetin 7-methyl as a potential new drug lead for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease.

Leishmaniosis is a neglected tropical disease which affects several millions of people worldwide. The current drug therapies are expensive and often lack efficacy, mainly due to the development of parasite resistance. Hence, there is an urgent need for new drugs effective against Leishmania infections. As a part of our ongoing study on the phytochemical characterization and biological investigation of plants used in the traditional medicine of western and central Asia, in the present study, we focused on Eremurus persicus root extract in order to evaluate its potential in the treatment of leishmaniosis. As a result of our study, aloesaponol III 8-methyl ether (ASME) was isolated for the first time from Eremurus persicus root extract, its chemical structure elucidated by means of IR and NMR experiments and the ( R ) configuration assigned by optical activity measurements: chiroptical aspects were investigated with vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopies and DFT (density functional theory) quantum mechanical calculations. Concerning biological investigations, our results clearly proved that ( R )-ASME inhibits Leishmania infantum promastigotes viability (IC 50 73 µg/mL), inducing morphological alterations and mitochondrial potential deregulation. Moreover, it is not toxic on macrophages at the concentration tested, thus representing a promising molecule against Leishmania infections.

Iris species are well recognized as wealthy sources of isoflavonoids. In the present study, phytochemical investigation of the rhizomes of Iris germanica (Iridaceae) procure the isolation of two new isoflavonoids namely, 8-hydroxyirilone 5-methyl ether (2) and 8-hydroxyirilone (3), along with eight known isoflavonoids: irilone 4'-methyl ether (1), irilone (4), irisolidone (5), irigenin S (6), irigenin (7), irilone 4'-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (8), iridin S (9), and iridin (10). The isolated flavonoids were structurally characterized with the assist of comprehensive spectroscopic analyses (UV, IR, 1D and 2D NMR, and HRMS) and comparing with the published data. They were estimated for their antioxidant and antidaibetic capacities using DPPH and α-amylase inhibition assays, respectively. Compounds 2, 3, and 4 exhibited prominent antioxidant activities with IC 50 values of 12.92, 9.23, and 10.46μM, respectively compared to propyl gallate (IC 50 7.11μM). Moreover, 2-5 possessed highest α-amylase inhibitory activity with % inhibition 66.1, 78.3, 67.3, and 70.1, respectively in comparison to acarbose (reference α-amylase inhibitor). Additionally, their structure-activity relationship has been discussed., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Two carotenoids, lutein (1) and lutein 3'-methyl ether (2), have been isolated from the EtOAc fraction othe MeOH extract of Peristrophe lanceolaria, growing in Thailand. The structures of these compounds were elucidated from their ID and 2D NMR spectroscopic data and from comparisons made with the literature data. This is the first report of the isolation of lutein-3'-methyl ether as a natural product.

A headspace solid-phase microextraction method was developed for the preconcentration and extraction of methyl tert-butyl ether. An ionic-liquid-mediated multiwalled carbon nanotube-poly(dimethylsiloxane) hybrid coating, which was prepared by covalent functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with hydroxyl-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) using the sol-gel technique, was used as solid-phase microextraction adsorbent. This innovative fiber exhibited a highly porous surface structure, high thermal stability (at least 320°C) and long lifespan (over 210 uses). Potential factors affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the method LOD (S/N = 3) was 0.007 ng/mL and the LOQ (S/N = 10) was 0.03 ng/mL. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.03-200 ng/mL. The RSDs for one fiber (repeatability, n = 5) at three different concentrations (0.05, 1, and 150 ng/mL) were 5.1, 4.2, and 4.6% and for the fibers obtained from different batches (reproducibility, n = 3) were 6.5, 5.9, and 6.3%, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of methyl tert-butyl ether in different real water samples on three consecutive days. The relative recoveries for the spiked samples with 0.05, 1, and 150 ng/mL were between 94-104%., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Fuel oxygenates are environmentally detrimental compounds due to their rapid migration to groundwater. Fuel oxygenates have been reported to cause taste and odour problems in drinking water, and they also have long-term health effects. Feasible analytical methods are required to observe the presence of fuel oxygenates in drinking and natural water. The authors studied ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) to determinate isomeric fuel ether oxygenates; ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), diisopropyl ether (DIPE), and tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME), separated from aqueous matrices with a pervaporation membrane module. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was also membrane extracted and detected with IMS. The authors demonstrated that fuel ethers (MTBE, ETBE, DIPE, and TAME) can be quantified at μg/L level with membrane extraction IMS. A membrane extraction module coupled to IMS is a time and cost effective analysis method because sampling can be performed in a single procedure and from different natural water matrices within a few minutes. Consequently, IMS combined with membrane extraction is suitable not only for waterworks and other online applications but also in the field monitoring the quality of drinking and natural water., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A comprehensive analysis of 175 Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. dieffenbachiae strains isolated from 10 Araceae hosts was done to identify pathogen variation. The strains were subjected to repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence polymerase chain reaction and four major phylogenetic clusters were generated. A subset of 40 strains isolated from Anthurium, Dieffenbachia, and Syngonium was further defined by amplified fragment length polymorphism and fatty acid methyl ester analysis and the same four phylogenetic clusters were observed. Comparison of representative strains in the first three clusters using DNA-DNA hybridization and multilocus sequence analysis supports the previous reclassification of strains in cluster I, including the X. axonopodis pv. dieffenbachiae pathovar reference strain (LMG695), to X. citri. Our research findings indicate that strains in cluster I, isolated primarily from anthurium, probably represent an undescribed pathovar. Other phylogenetic subclusters consisting primarily of strains isolated from xanthosoma and philodendron in clusters III and IV, respectively, may yet represent other undescribed species or pathovars of Xanthomonas.

Treatment of the ether-insoluble resin glycoside (convolvulin) fraction from seeds of Quamoclit pennata (Convolvulaceae) with indium(III) chloride in methanol provided three oligoglycosides of hydroxy fatty acid (glycosidic acid) methyl esters and two methyl glycosides, which were partially acylated by a glycosidic acid, 7S-hydroxydecanoic acid 7-O-β-D-quinovopyranoside (quamoclinic acid B) and/or two organic acids, (E)-2-methylbut-2-enoic (tiglic) acid and/or 3R-hydroxy-2R-methylbutyric (nilic) acid. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical conversions.

We succeeded in purifying the carotenoid produced by Bacillus firmus GB1 using chromatography on polystyrenic synthetic adsorbents, and identified it as 4,4'-diapolycopene-4,4'-dioic acid by HRESI-MS and NMR analyses of it and its dimethylester. In addition, we clarified the singlet oxygen (¹O₂) quenching activities of 4,4'-diapolycopene-4,4'-dioic acid and its methyl esters (mono and dimethyl ester). Their IC₅₀ values were 5.8 μM, 6.0 μM, and 6.2 μM, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report concerning the isolation and antioxidative activity of 4,4'-diapolycopene-4,4'-dioic acid, a product of the C30 carotenoid biosynthesis pathway.

In order to evaluate technology options for the treatment of groundwater contaminated with benzene and MTBE in constructed wetlands (CWs), a scarcely applied plant root mat system and two horizontal subsurface-flow (HSSF) CWs were investigated. The inflow load of benzene and MTBE were 188-522 and 31-90 mg d(-1)m(-2), respectively. Higher removal efficiencies were obtained during summer in all systems. The benzene removal efficiencies were 0-33%, 24-100% and 22-100% in the unplanted HSSF-CW, planted HSSF-CW and the plant root mat, respectively; the MTBE removal efficiencies amounted to 0-33%, 16-93% and 8-93% in the unplanted HSSF-CW, planted HSSF-CW and the plant root mat, respectively. The volatilisation rates in the plant root mat amounted to 7.24 and 2.32 mg d(-1)m(-2) for benzene and MTBE, which is equivalent to 3.0% and 15.2% of the total removal. The volatilisation rates in the HSSF-CW reached 2.59 and 1.07 mg d(-1)m(-2), corresponding to 1.1% and 6.1% of the total removal of benzene and MTBE, respectively. The results indicate that plant root mats are an interesting option for the treatment of waters polluted with benzene and MTBE under moderate temperatures conditions., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A pilot-scale sand-based fluidized bed bioreactor (FBBR) was utilized to treat both methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) from a contaminated aquifer. To evaluate the potential for re-use of the treated water, we tested for a panel of water quality indicator microorganisms and potential waterborne pathogens including total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Shigella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, Aeromonas hydrophila, Legionella pneumophila, Vibrio cholerae, Yersinia enterocolytica and Mycobacterium avium in both influent and treated waters from the bioreactor. Total bacteria decreased during FBBR treatment. E. coli, Salmonella and Shigella spp., C. jejuni, V. cholerae, Y. enterocolytica and M. avium were not detected in aquifer water or bioreactor treated water samples. For those pathogens detected, including total coliforms, L. pneumophila and A. hydrophila, numbers were usually lower in treated water than influent samples, suggesting removal during treatment. The detection of particular bacterial species reflected their presence or absence in the influent waters., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The removal of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene and m-,p-,o-xylenes), MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) and TAME (tertiary amyl methyl ether) from aqueous solutions by raw (L(raw)) and thermally treated lignite at 250 C, 550 °C and 750 °C (L250, L550 and L750, respectively) was studied, through batch experiments. Selected physical characteristics of both raw and treated lignite such as surface area and pore volume distribution were determined. Competitive adsorption effects were also explored. It was proved that the examined lignite samples were quite effective in removing BTEX, MTBE and TAME from aqueous solutions, with sample treated at 750 °C being the most effective. Among the contaminants, BTEX appeared to have the strongest affinity, based on mass uptake by lignite samples. BTEX presence was found to significantly prevent MTBE and TAME adsorption on lignite (up to ∼55%). In all cases, equilibrium was achieved within 3h. The kinetics data proved a closer fit to the pseudo second order model, while the isotherm experimental data were a better fit to the Freundlich model, producing in some cases values of the isotherm constant 1/n less than one, indicating favorable adsorption. Respective batch experiments using commercial activated carbon (AC) were also conducted for comparison., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Fatty acids are abundant in vegetable oils. They are known to have antibacterial and antifungal properties., Methods: Antifungal susceptibility was evaluated by broth microdilution assay following CLSI (formerly the NCCLS) guidelines against 16 fungal strains of clinical interest., Results: In this work, fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) was able to inhibit 12 clinical strains of the pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and were also active in the bioautographic assay against Cladosporium sphaerospermum., Conclusions: FAME was a more potent antifungal than trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole against P. brasiliensis under the experimental conditions tested.

Field investigations on the treatment of MTBE and benzene from contaminated groundwater in pilot or full-scale constructed wetlands are lacking hugely. The aim of this study was to develop a biological treatment technology that can be operated in an economic, reliable and robust mode over a long period of time. Two pilot-scale vertical-flow soil filter eco-technologies, a roughing filter (RF) and a polishing filter (PF) with plants (willows), were operated independently in a single-stage configuration and coupled together in a multi-stage (RF+PF) configuration to investigate the MTBE and benzene removal performances. Both filters were loaded with groundwater from a refinery site contaminated with MTBE and benzene as the main contaminants, with a mean concentration of 2970±816 and 13,966±1998 μg L(-1), respectively. Four different hydraulic loading rates (HLRs) with a stepwise increment of 60, 120, 240 and 480 L m(-2) d(-1) were applied over a period of 388 days in the single-stage operation. At the highest HLR of 480 L m(-2) d(-1), the mean concentrations of MTBE and benzene were found to be 550±133 and 65±123 μg L(-1) in the effluent of the RF. In the effluent of the PF system, respective mean MTBE and benzene concentrations of 49±77 and 0.5±0.2 μg L(-1) were obtained, which were well below the relevant MTBE and benzene limit values of 200 and 1 μg L(-1) for drinking water quality. But a dynamic fluctuation in the effluent MTBE concentration showed a lack of stability in regards to the increase in the measured values by nearly 10%, which were higher than the limit value. Therefore, both (RF+PF) filters were combined in a multi-stage configuration and the combined system proved to be more stable and effective with a highly efficient reduction of the MTBE and benzene concentrations in the effluent. Nearly 70% of MTBE and 98% of benzene were eliminated from the influent groundwater by the first vertical filter (RF) and the remaining amount was almost completely diminished (∼100% reduction) after passing through the second filter (PF), with a mean MTBE and benzene concentration of 5±10 and 0.6±0.2 μg L(-1) in the final effluent. The emission rate of volatile organic compounds mass into the air from the systems was less than 1% of the inflow mass loading rate. The results obtained in this study not only demonstrate the feasibility of vertical-flow soil filter systems for treating groundwater contaminated with MTBE and benzene, but can also be considered a major step forward towards their application under full-scale conditions for commercial purposes in the oil and gas industries., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1, which is capable of degrading methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) , was immobilized in calcium alginate gel beads. Several methods were explored to increase the strength of these gel beads. The central composite design analysis indicated that the introduction of 0.2 mol x L(-1) Ca2+ into the crosslinking solution, 1.38 mmol x L(-1) Ca2+ into the growth medium and 0.1% polyethyleneimine (PEI) as the chemical crosslinking agent could increase the stability of the Ca-alginate gel beads with no loss of biodegradation activity. The stabilized immobilized cells could be used 400 h continuously with no breakage and no bioactivity loss. Examination of scanning electron microscope demonstrated that a membrane surrounding the gel beads was formed and the cells could grow and breed well in the stabilized calcium alginate gel beads. Kinetic analysis of the gel bead-degradation indicated that the rate-limiting step was biochemical process instead of intraparticle diffusion process. The diameter of 3 mm affected the biodegradability less while high concentration of PEI induced much more serious mass transfer restraint.

Sphaeropsidone and episphaeropsidone are two phytotoxic dimedone methyl ethers produced by Diplodia cupressi, the causal agent of a canker disease of cypress in the Mediterranean area. In this study, eight derivatives obtained by chemical modifications and two natural analogues were assayed for phytotoxic and antifungal activities, and a structure-activity relationship was examined. Each compound was tested on nonhost plants and on five fungal pathogenic species belonging to the genus Phytophthora. The results provide insights into structure-activity relationships within these compounds. It was found that the hydroxy group at C-5, the absolute C-5 configuration, the epoxy group, and the C-2 carbonyl group appear to be structural features important in conferring biological activity. The conversion of sphaeropsidone into the corresponding 1,4-dione derivative led to a compound showing greater antifungal activity than its precursor. This finding could be useful in devising new natural fungicides for practical application in agriculture.

The tested bacterial in this study is the efficient degrading bacteria Chryseobacterium sp. A-3 to methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). The bacterial transport parameters during the process of soil bioremediation were described and determined, which included the properties of soils, adsorption isothermal parameters, adsorption dynamics, effective diffusion coefficient and growth coefficients of bacterial. The results showed, compared with other adsorption isotherms, experimental data are correlated reasonably well by Freundlich isotherm models with correlation coefficient of 99.5%. The exponential coefficient is 1.1, which is close to 1. So linear isotherm model can be used to describe the adsorption isothermal process of bacterial in soil. The adsorption constant of Chryseobacterium sp. A-3 value is 0.98 mL/g. The bacteria adsorption dynamics can be well forecasted by the stagnant film theory, which showed the adsorption process is reversible. The microbial reversible attachment rate coefficient is 0. 004 s(-1), and the microbial reversible detachment rate coefficient is 0. 002 s(-1). Based on the membrane cell and fractal dimension model, the diffusion coefficient 3.66 x 10(-6) cm2/s and effective diffusion coefficient 5.18 x 10(-7) cm2/s can be obtained. Simulation of biodegradation process was carried out. The results showed the maximum bacterial growth rate is 0.01 h(-1), the half saturated constant of MTBE is 134 mg/L as well as the biology rate is 0.33. The proposed of determine methods of bacterial transport parameters can be widely used in laboratory and field studies of microbial migration during soil. These parameters are great significance for the model establishment and study of bacteria transport in soil.

A simple and template-free solution phase synthesis method has been developed for the preparation of novel CdS hollow microspheres using cadmium nitrate and thioacetamide precursors. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that process parameters such as the reaction time, precursor ratio, and reaction temperature strongly influence the morphology of the final product. The synthesized products have been characterized by a variety of methods, including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDX) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS). XRD analysis confirmed the cubic structure of the CdS microspheres, which has also been further supported by Raman spectroscopy. The HR-SEM measurements revealed the spherical morphology of the CdS microspheres which has been evolved by the oriented aggregation of the primary CdS nanocrystals. The TEM measurements confirmed the hollow shell-like structure of the spheres; the formation of their hollow interiors can be explained by the Ostwald ripening mechanism. UV-DRS studies showed that the band gap of the CdS microspheres increased with increasing cadmium-nitrate-to-thioacetamide ratio. Furthermore, studies of photocatalytic activity revealed that the synthesized CdS hollow microspheres exhibit an excellent photocatalytic performance in rapidly degrading methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in aqueous solution under visible-light illumination. These results suggest that CdS microspheres will be an interesting candidate for photocatalytic detoxification studies under visible light radiation.

The objective of this study was to assess the potential of using an in situ oxidation barrier system to remediate gasoline-contaminated groundwater. The passive remedial system included a persulfate-releasing barrier containing persulfate-releasing materials to release persulfate for contaminant oxidation. Bench experiments were performed to determine the components and persulfate-releasing rate of the persulfate-releasing materials. Column experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the designed persulfate-releasing materials on the control of petroleum-hydrocarbon plume. In this study, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and benzene were used as the target compounds. The optimal persulfate releasing rate was obtained when the mass ratio of persulfate/cement/sand/water was 1/1/0.16/0.5, and the rate varied from 31 to 8 mg persulfate per day per g of material. Significant amounts of MTBE and benzene were removed through the oxidation process due to the release of persulfate, and the produced tert-butyl formate (TBF) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), byproducts of MTBE, were further oxidized in the system. Results suggest that the oxidation rate would be affected by the oxidant reduction potential and concentrations of ferrous iron and persulfate., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel aerated treatment pond for enhanced biodegradation of groundwater contaminants was tested under field conditions. Coconut fibre and polypropylene textiles were used to encourage the development of contaminant-degrading biofilms. Groundwater contaminants targeted for removal were benzene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ammonium. Here, we present data from the first 14 months of operation and compare contaminant removal rates, volatilization losses, and biofilm development in one pond equipped with coconut fibre to another pond with polypropylene textiles. Oxygen concentrations were constantly monitored and adjusted by automated aeration modules. A natural transition from anoxic to oxic zones was simulated to minimize the volatilization rate of volatile organic contaminants. Both ponds showed constant reductions in benzene concentrations from 20 mg/L at the inflow to about 1 microg/L at the outflow of the system. A dynamic air chamber (DAC) measurement revealed that only 1% of benzene loss was due to volatilization, and suggests that benzene loss was predominantly due to aerobic mineralization. MTBE concentration was reduced from around 4 mg/L at the inflow to 3.4-2.4 mg/L in the system effluent during the first 8 months of operation, and was further reduced to 1.2 mg/L during the subsequent 6 months of operation. Ammonium concentrations decreased only slightly from around 59 mg/L at the inflow to 56 mg/L in the outflow, indicating no significant nitrification during the first 14 months of continuous operation. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) demonstrated that microorganisms rapidly colonized both the coconut fibre and polypropylene textiles. Microbial community structure analysis performed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealed little similarity between patterns from water and textile samples. Coconut textiles were shown to be more effective than polypropylene fibre textiles for promoting the recruitment and development of MTBE-degrading biofilms. Biofilms of both textiles contained high numbers of benzene metabolizing bacteria suggesting that these materials provide favourable growth conditions for benzene degrading microorganisms., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There is great interest in developing black liquor gasification technology over recent years for efficient recovery of bio-based residues in chemical pulp mills. Two potential technologies of producing dimethyl ether (DME) and methane (CH(4)) as alternative fuels from black liquor gasification integrated with the pulp mill have been studied and compared in this paper. System performance is evaluated based on: (i) comparison with the reference pulp mill, (ii) fuel to product efficiency (FTPE) and (iii) biofuel production potential (BPP). The comparison with the reference mill shows that black liquor to biofuel route will add a highly significant new revenue stream to the pulp industry. The results indicate a large potential of DME and CH(4) production globally in terms of black liquor availability. BPP and FTPE of CH(4) production is higher than DME due to more optimized integration with the pulping process and elimination of evaporation unit in the pulp mill.

Silicalite-1/fly ash cenosphere (S/FAC) zeolite composite has been applied for batch adsorption of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) from water systems. Here the key experimental conditions, including the ratio of initial MTBE concentration to the amount weight of S/FAC, adsorption time and temperature, have been discussed in detail. The results show that approximately 93-95% MTBE could be adsorbed with initial concentration of MTBE solution 1000 microg l(-1). The column flow-through experiments also prove the high capacity of S/FAC composite for MTBE removal. The distinct advantages of S/FAC zeolite composite as adsorbent lie in (1) enhanced adsorption rate and capacity based on hierarchical micro and meso/macroporosity of S/FAC; (2) more easily operation and recycling process by assembly of nano-sized silicalite-1 zeolite on FAC support.

In this study, the removal of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) from contaminated groundwater using advanced oxidation technology was investigated. The UV/H(2)O(2) treatment process was applied to remove MTBE from two Saudi groundwater sources that have different quality characteristics with regard to their contents of inorganic species such as chloride, bromide, sulfates and alkalinity. MTBE was spiked into water samples collected from the two sources to a concentration level of about 250 microg/L. A 500 mL bench-scale forced-liquid circulation photoreactor was used to conduct the experiments. Two different UV lamps were utilized: 15 Watt low pressure (LP) and 150 Watt medium pressure (MP). Results of the study showed that the UV/H(2)O(2) process removed more than 90% of MTBE in 20 minutes when the MP lamp was used at an MTBE/H(2)O(2) molar ratio of 1:200. The results also showed that groundwater sources with higher levels of radical scavengers such as alkalinity, bromide, nitrate and sulfate showed lower rate of MTBE removal.

In this paper, we evaluate the efficiency of UV/H2O2 process to remove methyl tert-butyl ether (MtBE) and tertiary butyl alcohol (tBA) from a drinking water source. Kinetic models were used to evaluate the removal efficiency of the UV/H2O2 technologies with different pretreatment options and light sources. Two commercial UV light sources, i.e. low pressure, high intensity lamps and medium pressure, high intensity lamps, were evaluated. The following pretreatment alternatives were evaluated: (1) ion exchange softening with seawater regeneration (NaIX); (2) Pellet Softening; (3) weak acid ion exchange (WAIX); and (4) high pH lime softening followed by reverse osmosis (RO). The presence or absence of a dealkalization step prior to the UV/H2O2 Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) was also evaluated for each pretreatment possibility. Pretreatment has a significant impact on the performance of UV/H2O2 process. The NaIX with dealkalization was shown to be the most cost effective. The electrical energy per order (EEO) values for MtBE and tBA using low pressure high output UV lamps (LPUV) and 10mg/LH2O2 are 0.77 and 3.0 kWh/kgal-order, or 0.20 and 0.79 kWh/m3-order, respectively. For medium pressure UV high output lamps (MPUV), EEO values for MtBE and tBA are 4.6 and 15 kWh/kgal-order, or 1.2 and 4.0 kWh/m3-order, for the same H2O2 dosage.

In this paper, the treatment of real groundwater samples contaminated with gasoline components, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), and other gasoline constituents in terms of total petroleum hydrocarbons as gasoline (TPHg) by an ozone/UV process was investigated. The treatment was conducted in a semi-batch reactor under different experimental conditions by varying ozone gas dosage and incident UV light intensity. The groundwater samples contained BTEX compounds, MTBE, TBA, and TPHg in the ranges of 5-10000, 3000-5500, 80-1400, and 2400-20000 microgl(-1), respectively. The ozone/UV process was very effective compared to ozonation in the removal of the gasoline components from the groundwater samples. For the various gasoline constituents, more than 99% removal efficiency was achieved for the ozone/UV process and the removal efficiency for ozonation was as low as 27%. The net ozone consumed per mol of organic carbon (from BTEX, MTBE, and TBA) oxidized varied in the range of 5-60 for different types of groundwater samples treated by the ozone/UV process. In ozonation experiments, it was observed that the presence of sufficient amount of iron in groundwater samples improved the removal of BTEX, MTBE, TBA, and TPHg.

The removal of mixtures of gas-phase pollutants released from formaldehyde- and formaldehyde resin-producing industries was studied in different bioreactor systems. The waste gases contained formaldehyde, methanol, dimethylether and carbon monoxide. The use of a hybrid two-stage bioreactor, composed of a biotrickling filter and a conventional biofilter connected in series, led to very high elimination capacities and removal efficiencies close to 100% for overall pollutant loads exceeding 600g m(-3)h(-1). The presence of low concentrations of dimethylether in the gaseous mixture did not have a significant effect on the removal of formaldehyde or methanol under our operating conditions, although moderate concentrations of these compounds did negatively affect the biodegradation of dimethylether. When a mixture of all four compounds, at concentrations around 100, 100, 50 and 50mg m(-3) for formaldehyde, methanol, carbon monoxide and dimethylether, respectively, was fed to a conventional biofilter, removal efficiencies higher than 80% were obtained for the first three pollutants at empty bed retention time values above 30s. On the other hand, dimethylether was removed to a lower extent, although its reduced environmental impact allows to conclude that these results were satisfactory.

A novel fungal secondary metabolite, Sch 213766 was isolated from the fungal fermentation broth of Chaetomium globosum as the chemokine receptor CCR-5 inhibitor and shown to be the methyl ester of the previously described tetramic acid Sch 210972 on the basis of UV, MS and NMR spectral data analyses. Sch213766 exhibited an IC(50) value of 8.6 muM in the CCR-5 receptor in vitro binding assay.

Purpose: Preparation of anesthesia machines for patients who are susceptible to malignant hyperthermia includes flushing the machine with vapour-free fresh gas to washout residual anesthetic agents. To establish guidelines for the preparation of the Dräger Primus machine, we compared the washout profiles for isoflurane and sevoflurane in the Dräger Primus and Ohmeda Excel 210 anesthesia machines., Technical Features: The machines were primed with 1.5% isoflurane or 2.5% sevoflurane. Fresh gas flow (FGF) was set at 10 L.min(-1) during the early washout phase, and subsequently reduced to 3 L.min(-1) during the late washout phase. A Miran ambient air analyzer measured the anesthetic concentration every minute during washout until a concentration of 5 ppm was achieved in the inspiratory limb of the circle circuit. We found that at a FGF of 10 L.min(-1), maximum washout times for isoflurane and sevoflurane in the Primus, 70 and 74 min, respectively, were approximately tenfold greater than for isoflurane in the Excel 210 (7.0 min). Increasing the FGF to 18 L.min(-1) decreased the washout time for isoflurane in the Primus, only moderately, to 52 min. We observed a threefold increase in anesthetic concentration in the Primus during the late washout phase., Conclusion: We conclude that the Primus must be flushed for at least 70 min to decrease the anesthetic concentration to 5 ppm when using a FGF of 10 L.min(-1). We recommend maintaining a FGF of 10 L.min(-1) for the duration of anesthesia in order to prevent the rebound increase in anesthetic concentration in the FGF.

Equilibrium and kinetic adsorption of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) onto two carbonaceous resins and one zeolite was elucidated in this study. The Freundlich isotherm is adequate for describing the adsorption equilibrium of MTBE onto all the tested adsorbents in deionized water and natural waters. The resins of Ambersorb 563 and 572 have the highest adsorption capacity and almost twice the capacity of mordenite in deionized water. A different extent of NOM competition with MTBE was found for the carbonaceous resins in natural waters. For mordenite, no competitive adsorption was observed in natural water. The ideal adsorbed solution theory combined with equivalent background compound (IAST-EBC) model successfully described and predicted the adsorption of MTBE onto the carbonaceous resins in natural waters. The pore diffusion and micropore diffusion model fit the experimental data fairly well and successfully predicted the transport of MTBE within the adsorbent under different operating conditions. The small tortuosity factor between 1.2 and 2.3 of the resins for the diffusion of MTBE was observed, indicating a superior transport property for the carbonaceous resins in natural waters. The intracrystalline diffusivity of MTBE in natural water was much slower than that in deionized water, only 1/10 in STL and 1/3 in FS natural water, since the aperture entrances of mordenite was appreciably hindered by NOM.

Headspace solid-phase dynamic extraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPDE-GC/MS) was evaluated for the trace determination of polar volatile organic compounds (PVOC) from aqueous matrices. The target compounds included 3 ethers and 12 alcohols. Four SPDE needle coatings with different phase polarities and sorption properties (WAX, 1701, PDMS, PDMS/AC) were tested. The effects of extraction temperature, number of extraction cycles, and ionic strength on partitioning of the target compounds have been investigated in detail, including the determination of salting-out constants for the investigated compounds. Lowest method detection limits (MDLs) were obtained with the WAX and the PDMS/AC phase. The WAX phase showed MDLs for ethers in the range of 0.06 microg/L (MTBE) to 0.8 microg/L (1,4-dioxane) and for alcohols between 0.02 microg/L (3-methyl-1-pentanol) and 3.5 microg/L (1-propanol). The evaluated MDLs for ethers with the PDMS/AC were in the range 0.06 microg/L (MTBE) to 1.2 microg/L (1,4-dioxane) and for alcohols between 0.004 microg/L (1-hexanol) and 4.9 microg/L (ethanol). Using either of these two phases, SPDE provides comparable or better sensitivities for the investigated compounds than other enrichment techniques, high sample throughput because of full automation, and short extraction times as well as a high robustness of the extraction phase because of its protection inside the steel needle. SPDE applicability has been demonstrated for the determination of fusel oils in different alcoholic beverages.

The effect of addition of organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) on the phase separation of polystyrene (PS)/poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) blend was examined. Using two types of OMMT modified with two different kinds of surfactants, the effect of organic modification on nanocomposites was investigated by focusing on three major aspects: phase transition, morphological study, and melt rheological behavior both below and above the critical transition temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed the formation of intercalated nanocomposites and transmission electron micrographic (TEM) observations showed that the ordering of silicate layers in blend matrix is well matched with the XRD patterns. The addition of clay was found to affect both the mechanism of phase separation and the final morphology. Such effects resulted in uncommon rheological behavior of the blend both below and above the critical transition temperature. Surface phase separation of thin films for virgin blend and nanocomposites was also examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Morphology resulting after phase separation was found to be dependent on the nature and the amount of OMMT added to the polymer blend.

In this study, we investigated the treatability of co-mingled groundwater contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), gasoline hydrocarbons, and methyl tert-butyl ether (MtBE) using an ex-situ aerobic biotreatment system. The PAHs of interest were naphthalene, methyl-naphthalene, acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, and carbazole. The gasoline hydrocarbons included benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and p-xylene (BTEX). Two porous pot reactors were operated for a period of 10 months under the same influent contaminant concentrations. The contaminated groundwater was introduced into the reactors at a flow rate of 4 and 9 l/day, resulting in a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 32 and 15 h, respectively. In both reactors, high removal efficiencies were achieved for the PAHs (>99%), BTEX and MtBE (>99.7%). All the PAHs of interest and the four BTEX compounds were detected at concentrations less than 1 mug/l throughout the study duration. Effluent MtBE from both reactors was observed at higher levels; nevertheless, its concentration was lower than the 5 mug/l Drinking Water Advisory for MtBE implemented in California.

Experiments have yielded a number of important insights into the energy distribution, sparging and oxidation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, m- and p-xylene, and o-xylene (BTEX) in a dense medium plasma reactor (DMPR). It has been found that the DMPR transferred a relatively small amount of electrical energy, approximately 4% in the form of sensible heat, to the surrounding bulk liquid. Rate constants associated with plasma initiated oxidation, interphase mass transfer and photolysis were determined using a combination of non-linear least squares analysis and Matlab optimization for each species. The rate constants developed for the DMPR, in conjunction with a species mass balance on a prototype tubular high-density plasma reactor, have been applied to determine the removal rates of MTBE and the BTEXs when operating in batch and continuous flow configurations. The dependence of contaminant concentration on parameters such as treatment time, the number of pin electrodes, electrode gap, and volumetric flow rate has been determined. It was found that, under various design specifications and operating conditions, the tubular high-density plasma reactor may be an effective tool for the removal of volatile organic compounds from aqueous solutions.

During the last two decades, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) has been widely used as an additive to gasoline (up to 15%) both to increase the octane number and as a fuel oxygenate to improve air quality by reducing the level of carbon monoxide in vehicle exhausts. The present work mainly deals with photooxidative degradation of MTBE in the presence of H2O2 under UV light illumination (30W). We studied the influence of the basic operational parameters such as initial concentration of H2O2 and irradiation time on the photodegradation of MTBE. The oxidation rate of MTBE was low when the photolysis was carried out in the absence of H2O2 and it was negligible in the absence of UV light. The addition of proper amount of hydrogen peroxide improved the degradation, while the excess hydrogen peroxide could quench the formation of hydroxyl radicals (OH). The semi-log plot of MTBE concentration versus time was linear, suggesting a first order reaction. Therefore, the treatment efficiency was evaluated by figure-of-merit electrical energy per order (E(Eo)). Our results showed that MTBE could be treated easily and effectively with the UV/H2O2 process with E(Eo) value 80 kWh/m3/order. The proposed model based on artificial neural network (ANN) could predict the MTBE concentration during irradiation time in optimized conditions. A comparison between the predicted results of the designed ANN model and experimental data was also conducted.

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)-spent granular activated carbon (GAC) was chemically regenerated utilizing the Fenton mechanism. Two successive GAC regeneration cycles were performed involving iterative adsorption and oxidation processes: MTBE was adsorbed to the GAC, oxidized, re-adsorbed, oxidized, and finally re-adsorbed. Oxidant solutions comprised of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (1.7-2.0%) and FeSO4 x 7H2O (3 g/L) (pH 2.5), were recirculated through the GAC column (30% bed expansion). The regeneration efficiency after two full cycles of treatment was calculated to be 91%. The cost of H2O2 was 0.59 dollars/kg GAC (0.27 dollars/lb) per regeneration cycle. There was no loss of sorptive capacity. Small reductions in carbon surface area and pore volume were measured. The lack of carbon deterioration under aggressive oxidative conditions was attributed to the oxidation of the target contaminants relative to the oxidation of carbon surfaces. The reaction byproducts from MTBE oxidation, tertiary butanol and acetone, were also degraded and did not accumulate significantly on the GAC. Excessive accumulation of Fe on the GAC and consequent interference with MTBE sorption and carbon regeneration was controlled by monitoring and adjusting Fe in the oxidative solution.

A rapid analytical procedure for the on-line determination of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in water samples was developed. A new membrane extraction unit was used to extract the MTBE from water samples. The concentration of MTBE was determined using ion mobility spectrometry with 63Ni ionization and corona discharge ionization without chromatographic separation. Both ionization methods permit the sensitive determination of MTBE. A detection limit of 100 microg/L was established for the on-line procedure. Neither the inorganic compounds, humic substances nor gasoline were found to exert a significant influence on the peak intensity of the MTBE. The screening procedure can be used for concentrations of monoaromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, xylene) up to 600 microg/L. No sample preparation is required and the analysis results are available within 5 min. In order to determine concentrations between 10 microg/L and 100 microg/L, a discontinuous procedure was developed on the basis of the same experimental set-up.

The overall objective of this research was to determine the effects of physical and chemical activated carbon characteristics on the simultaneous adsorption of trace organic contaminants and natural organic matter (NOM). A matrix of 12 activated carbon fibers (ACFs) with three activation levels and four surface chemistry levels (acid-washed, oxidized, hydrogen-treated, and ammonia-treated) was studied to systematically evaluate pore structure and surface chemistry phenomena. Also, three commercially available granular activated carbons (GACs) were tested. The relatively hydrophilic fuel additive methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and the relatively hydrophobic solvent trichloroethene (TCE) served as micropollutant probes. A comparison of adsorption isotherm data collected in the presence and absence of NOM showed that percent reductions of single-solute TCE and MTBE adsorption capacities that resulted from the presence of co-adsorbing NOM were not strongly affected by the chemical characteristics of activated carbons. However, hydrophobic carbons were more effective adsorbents for both TCE and MTBE than hydrophilic carbons because enhanced water adsorption on the latter interfered with the adsorption of micropollutants from solutions containing NOM. With respect to pore structure, activated carbons should exhibit a large volume of micropores with widths that are about 1.5 times the kinetic diameter of the target adsorbate. Furthermore, an effective adsorbent should possess a micropore size distribution that extends to widths that are approximately twice the kinetic diameter of the target adsorbate to prevent pore blockage/constriction as a result of NOM adsorption.

The radiolytic degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in air-equilibrated dilute solution was investigated. Complete degradation of MTBE can be achieved within 5 min of irradiation at 59.7 Gy/min. The observed first-order degradation rate constant, called dose constant, increased from 0.04 to 0.56 Gy(-1) as the concentration of MTBE decreased from 92500 to 19 microg/L. Tert-butyl formate, tert-butyl alcohol, acetone and methyl acetate were found to be the primary intermediates of the degradation reaction with yields of 47%, 11%, 6.4% and 9.1%, respectively. The degradation of MTBE or its intermediates was also found to depend on the concentrations of benzene and cupric ion. The study shows that the removal of MTBE can be significantly decreased with increasing concentration of benzene. Little affects were observed with the presence of cupric ions, while the degradation of TBF was apparently reduced. These results indicate that gamma radiolysis can be a potentially effective treatment for the removal of MTBE in contaminated water systems.

The widespread use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as an oxygenate in gasoline has resulted in the contamination of a large number of ground and surface water sources. Even though air stripping has been proven to be an effective treatment technology for MTBE removal, off-gas treatment often is required in conjunction with it. This study evaluated the combined treatment technologies of air stripping followed by off-gas adsorption on a pilot scale for the treatment of MTBE-contaminated water. The effect of air/water ratios on the treatment efficiency was studied, and the mass transfer coefficient was determined. Air/water ratios of 105:1, 151:1, 177:1, 190:1, 202:1, and 206:1 were used, and a treatment efficiency of >99% was achieved for all the runs conducted. The depth of packing required to achieve maximum treatment efficiency decreased with increasing air/water ratio. Relative humidity (RH) impacts on the MTBE adsorption capacity of a granular activated carbon (GAC) and carbonaceous resin were determined from pilot plant studies. Breakthrough profiles obtained from the pilot plant studies conducted at 20, 30, and 50% RH indicated that GAC has a higher adsorptive capacity than resin. The adsorptive capacity of GAC decreased with increasing RH, whereas RH did not impact the resin adsorptive capacity.

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) has become a contaminant of increasing concern in the U.S. Traditional remediation technologies are successful in removing MTBE from contaminated water, but usually transfer the contaminant from the aqueous to another phase. Fenton's oxidation of MTBE provides a promising alternative to traditional remediation techniques in that it may mineralize the contaminant rather than just phase transfer. This bench-scale study investigated the feasibility of Fenton's oxidation of MTBE using zero-valent iron as the source of catalytic ferrous iron. The oxidation reactions were able to degrade over 99% of the MTBE within 10 min, and showed significant generation, and subsequent degradation, of the MTBE oxidation byproduct acetone. Second-order rate constants for MTBE degradation were 1.9 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) at pH 7.0 and 4.4 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) at pH 4.0. The total organic carbon was reduced by over 86% when a H2O2:MTBE ratio of 220:1 or greater was used.

An investigation was made of the treatability of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in five groundwaters with highly varied water quality characteristics. Air stripping, granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption, and the O(3)/H(2)O(2) and UV/H(2)O(2) advanced oxidation processes were compared in a mobile water treatment pilot plant under a variety of process conditions. Air stripping was shown to have the lower unit treatment costs for higher flowrates (i.e., 3800L/min), although relatively tall towers were required for greater treatment requirements. At low flowrates (i.e., 38L/min), advanced oxidation provided the lowest treatment costs for four of five waters (but was ineffective for a high chemical oxygen demand water). Both the O(3)/H(2)O(2) and UV/H(2)O(2) processes were more efficient at pH 7 versus 9 due in part to increased scavenging at higher pH. GAC was examined using rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCT). GAC was effective at most conditions, although it was also the most costly alternative for most waters. The results of this study can help to provide specific guidance into process selection for treating MTBE in contaminated groundwaters.

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) were oxidized in the gas phase by photocatalytic oxidation (PCO). Transient PCO was carried out at room temperature on TiO2 (Degussa P25), 0.2% Pt-TiO2, and 2% Pt-TiO2 catalysts. Surface-adsorbed reaction by-products were characterized by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and oxidation (TPO). Continuous flow PCO was also carried out at 373 K on TiO2. Acetone, H2O, and CO2 were the gas-phase products for PCO of TBA and MTBE, and formic acid was adsorbed on the TiO2 surface. Temperature-programmed desorption of TBA and MTBE formed 2-methyl-1-propene, water (TBA), and methanol (MTBE). During continuous-flow PCO, acetone desorbed in molar amounts equal to the amount of decomposed TBA and MTBE. The Pt/TiO2 catalysts had higher rates of complete oxidation during PCO and TPO. Injection of water during transient PCO increased the rates of oxidation of adsorbed TBA, formic acid, and acetone. Photocatalytic oxidation of TBA proceeded faster in humid air than dry air, but MTBE oxidation was less sensitive to humidity. The TiO2 catalyst was stable for MTBE, TBA, and acetone PCO at 373 K. The PCO at low conversions followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model.

A laboratory-made micro-cryogenic chromatographic oven was mainly improved in size, which was controlled at 6 x 6 x 2.5 cm. A thermoelectric system was used to cool the capillary column instead of the traditional liquid cryogen. A cold block connected to the cryogenic module was directly solidified at room temperature with thermally conductive adhesive so that the uniformity of transferring heat was greatly improved, and the size of the system was reduced. Moreover, this system was inexpensive and convenient for both operation and control. The newly developed device coupled with headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was successfully applied to the determination of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and its degradation products. During the analysis procedure, a 65 microm polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fiber was used to extract MTBE and its degradation products. The extraction was controlled at 50 degrees C for 30 min and the NaCl content in the sample was maintained at 35%. The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.006 microg mL(-1) (for MTBE) to 0.206 microg mL(-1) (for methyl acetate) and the relative standard deviations (RSD%) were below 4%. The spiked recoveries for the developed method were evaluated using various water samples as a matrix.

Laboratory-scale experiments and field studies were performed to evaluate the feasibility of biofilters for sequential removal of hydrogen sulfide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wastewater treatment plant waste air. The biofilter was designed for spatially separated removal of pollutants to mitigate the effects of acid production resulting from hydrogen sulfide oxidation. The inlet section of the upflow units was designated for hydrogen sulfide removal and the second section was designated for VOC removal. Complete removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was accomplished at loading rates of 8.3 g H2S/(m3 x h) (15-second empty bed retention time [EBRT]) and 33 g MTBE/(m3 x h) (60-second EBRT), respectively. In field studies performed at the Hyperion Treatment Plant in Los Angeles, California, excellent removal of hydrogen sulfide, moderate removal of nonchlorinated VOCs such as toluene and benzene, and poor removal of chlorinated VOCs were observed in treating the headworks waste air. During spiking experiments on the headworks waste air, the percentage removals were similar to the unspiked removals when nonchlorinated VOCs were spiked; however, feeding high concentrations of chlorinated VOCs reduced the removal percentages for all VOCs. Thus, biofilters offer a distinct advantage over chemical scrubbers currently used at publicly owned treatment works in that they not only remove odor and hydrogen sulfide efficiently at low cost, but also reduce overall toxicity by partially removing VOCs and avoiding the use of hazardous chemicals.